Boston FIG 2017 – Spell Scroll

Spell Scroll was located in a very unassuming booth towards the back of the gym where the tabletop games were being shown. Still in development, it’s a card battle game that ditches most card battle tropes and delves into 1 one 1 combat between two mages. Each player gets a Sorcerer, a deck of spells, 20 health, and dial to track how much energy they have to wield their magic.

The basics of the game have players taking turns placing cards on their stacks, resolving damage and blocks, until each player has run out of energy. Some spells have special abilities attached to them, and a player can sacrifice Energy to activate a once-per-round Sorcerer ability or play an Incantation card. After the end of the round, the starting Sorcerer for the round gains 2 Energy and the process starts again. Play continues until one player’s health has been exhausted.

Spell Scroll was a pleasant surprise. It was simple to play, had plenty of player interaction, lots of card combos, and played quickly. Otto, the game’s designer, is still trying to figure out what to do with the game but has set up a Patreon where you can get a print-and-play copy of the game in its current form.

Media personality Rob Kalajian has been a staple in the board game world for many years. As a former writer for Purple Pawn and the owner of A Pawn’s Perspective, Rob focuses on board game reviews, events, and news. A self-proclaimed geek, Rob loves all things toys and games and even helps raise his four kids in his spare time.